A standard snap ring such as described in DIN 7993 is seated in a radially inwardly open groove formed in the inner surface of a sleeve or the like to limit axial movement of another element fitting snugly in the sleeve., Such a connection is extremely simple to make as the one element is slid into the sleeve and then the snap ring is pushed in behind it until it snaps into place in the groove. The ring is solely stressed in shear and therefore forms a very strong connection.
The main problem with such an internal snap ring is that it is extraordinarily difficult to remove it. In a application such as at the end of a faucet riser pipe this type of snap ring might, however, need to be removed so that an O-ring normally provided inboard of it can be replaced.